Car-brake



(No Mbdel.)

' A. H. MARDEN.

v GAR BRAKE. No. 263,052. Patented Aug. 22,1882.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALDIS H. MARDEN, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 263,052, dated August22, 1882. Application filed May 5, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it knownthat I, ALDIS HENRY MARDEN, of Cambridge, in the county ofMiddlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Oar-Brakes, of which the following is adescription sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable any personskilled in the art or science to which my invention appertains to makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawinlgs,forming a part of this specification, in w ich Figure 1 is a sideelevation; Fig. 2, a top view; Fig. 3, an end view, and Fig. 4 a view ofthe lever-clamp. 7

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the differentfigures of the drawings.

My invention relates more especially to the class of car-brakes employedon steam and horse railways; and it consists in a novel construction andarrangement of parts, as hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed,by which a lighter, stronger, more durable, and efi'ective device ofthis character is produced than is now in ordinary use.

In the drawings, A represents the cross beam, B B the heads, and O thelever-clamp, of the brake.

The heads are designed to be suspended to the truck and provided with afriction shoepad in the usual manner.

The cross-beam A is formed of T-iron, and so arranged that when inposition for use the flange a or body of the T will be in a horizontalposition, or nearly so, and the top'd or cross of the T will be nearlyvertical, as best seen in Fig. 3.

The brake-heads B B are'mortised to receive the ends of the beam, andare provided with outwardlyprojecting flanges or lips m m, between whichthe flange a of the beam is inserted, the heads being firmly secured tothe beam by the bolts .90 a, which-extend vertically through the flangesm m of the heads and flange a of the beam.

The clamp O is mortised laterally to receive the beam A, and is securedthereto, at the center of the same, by the bolt 2, which passes throughthe body of the clamp and the flange a, as shown in- Fig. 4.

Projecting horizontally from the inner face of the clamp, and arrangeddiagonally on the same, are two arms, I) b, in the outer ends of whichthe brake-lever (not shown) is jointed in the usual manner.

By arranging the beam A as shown the flange or cross d is in a positionto effectually sustain any vertical strain applied to the beam, theflange or body a being at the same time in the best position tostrengthen and assist the flange d in resisting the lateral strainexerted by the lever, and also in a good position to enable the beam tobe secured to the best advantage to the heads B B.

In brakes of this class, as usually constructed, the cross-beam is madeofwood; but in order to obtain the requisite strength it has to be verylarge and heavy. It is also dilficult to connect a wooden beam to thebrake-heads without greatly weakening the parts, and there is sometimesmuch difficulty experienced in finding properly-seasoned wood of whichto make the beam. The method of connecting the lever-clamp to a woodenbeam also weakens it, and the clamp is liable to become loose and wearthe same by its vibratory movements, thus deranging the brake mechanism.These difficulties are obviated by my improvement, the T-iron beam,constructed and arranged as shown, being lighter, stronger, andaffording facilities for securely connecting the brakeheads and clampswhich do not pertain to beams made of wood.

Having thus explained my improvement, what I claim is- In a car brake,the T-iron cross -beam A, the brake-heads B B, and clamp 0, said clampbeing provided with a closed T-shaped slot adapted to receive thecross-beam, and with two diagonally-arranged arms, I) b, for receivin gthe brake-lever and its bolt, all constructed and arranged as described.

ALDIS HENRY MARDEN.

Witnesses:

O. A. SHAW, DAVID F. N OYES.

